Game



Aug. z5,v 1925. A' 1,550,692

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TEA LS SJEALS j lidi muah! Aug. 25, 1925.

1,550,692 J. A. GORMAN GAME 2 Sheets-Sheet, 2

Filed July 2],r 1924 iv/nes fl. C20 man 5 .i ro l; a la a o.

Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

UNITED STATES JAMES A. GOB/MAN, F SPOKANE, pWASI-IINGTON.

GAME.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES A. GORMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in Spokane County, and State of Illasliington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Games, of which the following is a specification.

rlhe present invention relates to improvements in games based upon the game of baseball, and in which is employed chance game-pieces or dice in connection with a game board. In carrying out my invention y I preferably utilize eleven dice, the sides of which are of various distinguishing colors and bear different symbols, and in addition one of the dice is of special shape, whereby the plays are indicated in the game. rI`wo opposing teams are employed which teams may consist of as many players as desired within limits, and these teams alternate at the bat and in the field according to the well established rules of the national game, thus insuring an interesting, attractive, and novel means of entertainment.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete set of the devices for carrying out my invention, these devices being combined and arranged according to the best mode I have thus far devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention.

For convenience of illustration and description I have shown the cubes or dice in flattened or diagrammatic form in order that the indicated plays may be compactly eX- hibited.

Figure 1 is a view of a special form of device known as a cocked dice having two flattened corners and provided with the symbols ball, strike, hit &c. said dice being used by the player termed a pitcher.

Figure 2 is a flattened cube bearing the symbols for indicating a fair or foul ball.

Figure 8 represents a dice showing the nature of a hit ball, whether a fly or ground ball.

Figure 4 represents a dice having thereon symbols to indicate the position, infield or outiield to which the ball is hit.`

Figure 5 designates the nature of the play, whether safe or out.

Figure 6 is a dice used with Figure 5 to show an error.

Figure 7 is a dice used to indicate an additional base on the hitP l Application led July 21, 1924.

serial No. 727,283.

Figure 8 is a single dice used electively for stealing bases.

Figures 9, 10, and 11 are separate dice representing' respectively one, two and three men. or runners occupying bases.

Figure 12 is a perspective view of the game board used in the game.

For convenience in identifying the individual dice they will be referred to and designated by the numerals corresponding to the figures of drawings, as 1 through 11, and the game board is designated 12. The board is in the shape of a diamond and is provided with indicators 13` 14 and 15 for counting strikes, balls, and the number out, respectively. A score board 16 is indicated on the game board for scoring runs by innings, and a counter 17 is provided for keeping` the scores of the opposing teams by halfinnings, i. e. the score of the team at bat.

The sidesnithesgemlfdice are provided witl/iwglomnaipdmtvhgsemyiierent colors are user as an aid in quick ymdfteiifiidning the play indicated. The colors are design ated in the drawings according to the chart of the Patent Oiiice. The colors ,yellow and blue in Figure 1, or on dice 1, indicate a strike and ball respectively, and do not occur on any other cube. The color brown is used on dice 2 only and this color is employed in. connection with the word foul for quickly ascertaining the nature of a hit ball. White or the absence of color is used on all of the dice to designate a fair or safe play, while red occuring on dice 5, 89, 10 and 11, indicates an out in all cases.

All plays are indicated by the symbol and color appearing on the uppermost side of the dice when the latter is thrown or tossed on the game board 12.

To determine the order of play by teams, the dice 8 is thrown, this dice having an even number of red and white faces respectively, to insure an even chance to the contestants. A representative of one team calls his color, and a representative of the other team throws the dice. The winner of the choice according to the color appearing uppermost on the dice is entitled to choose for his team its appearance at the bat-that is first or last innings.

Before play is started the several dice are distributed, the team at bat receiving dice 2, 3, 4L, 7 and 8, and the team in the field re- @Giving dif/'6 17 5: 67 9a 10a 11s and these dice are thrown, or tossed inn usual manner on the game board 12, tor the pur pose ot' indicatingl plays according to the established rules ot the game ot baseball. The object ot the game ot' course is to zget runners on the bases, advance the runners around the bases and have them pass the home plate lor scores. rllhe home plate` is indicated in Figure 12 by the numeral 18, and lirst, second and third bases or bags are designated respectively as 19, 20, 21, while the pitchers box is indicated as 22.

Disks, buttons, or other devices (not shown) may be used to represent the batter and base runners. and these men are placed in the box at the plate and on the bases as runners and advanced or removed according' to the regular rules ot the `rame and the plays indicated by the thrown device or dice.

The team in the '[ield starts play with the single dice 1 and a player ot` this team called the pitcher lirst throws or tosses the single dice tor the batter and .tor successive batters until three players are out, after which the sides are changed as in usual base ball.

rllhe throw of the single dice 1 by the pitcher has the possibility ot tour resulting plays-a ball, a strike. a hit ball, or a batter hit by the pitched ball, the last mentioned play being indicated it the cocked dice stands upon one ot its tlattened corners. The other plays are indicated by the words ball. strike, and hit.

Should the dice roll or depart trom the board the throw will indicate a wild pitch, usually scored as a ball. Bv any three succeeding throws ot the dice 1 the batter is retired on strikes as indicated when the strike tace ot the dice is up. By tour succeeding' throws of the dice with the ball tace up the batter is ,Qiven his base on balls and a disk or button, the iirst runner, is placed on first-base 19.

In the event that the single dice 1 as thrown comes with the word hit on its upper tace, the batter does not immediately take Vfirst basethe nature and extent et the hit is rst determined by throwing additional dice, by the team at bat. A player ot this team now throws a bunch ot dice 2, 3, 41, and 7 which respectively will determine whether the hit ball went into toul or fair territory; whether it is a ily or a ground ball: the infield or outfield position to which the ball was hit; and it fair, the number ot bases to which thel batter is entitled i. e.. whether it is a single, a double or a triple or home run. These tour latter hits are provided tor by the black squares appearing` on the white surfaces or sides ot the cubes in Figs. 2, 3, 4.-, and 7.

For example it the pitcher throws dice 1 play is a hit ball. Then when the tour dice 2, 3, et, and 7 are thrown, it their white sides are uppermost the indication is that the ball was hit into tair territory. It the brown side ot dice 2 shows uppermost a toul is indicated, which then becomes an additional strike on the batter, and its value is determined by the regular rules ot the game.

rrssuminghowever that the ball has been hit into sate territory, as indicated by dice 2; dice 3 indicates whether it is a fly or a `around ball: dice 4t indicates the tield or position to which the ball was batted, and the black squares appearing` on the tour dice indicate the number ot bases trom one to a home run, to which the batter is entitled. Should the black squares be entirely absent the batter has made a scratch hit. 1t a run ner or runners are on the bases the batter is credited with a sacrifice hit and the runners are advanced one base, provided two runners are not already out.

Following the play ot the game, the team in the 'field now is entitled to toss its two dice 5 and G with the chance ot retiring the ruimer as indicated bv the tour out sides ot dice and the eight sate sides ot dice 5 and 6. lilhen these two dice are thrown it a white side readingl sate come uppermost on dice 5 the player is sate regardless ot the indications on dice G.

Should the word out on any one ot the tour red sides ot dice 5 appear uppermost, the batter is out. Should the letter E appear on both the dice 5 and G, the team throwingthe dice 5 and G is credited with an error and the batter is sate. and the batter and base runner t or runners) advance the number ot bases indicated b v the black squares appearing' uppermost on the dice 9i. it. and 7.

The dice 9 10 and 11 are used selectively bv the 'eam throwing; the dice 5 and 6. That is a combination ot 5 G and 9 is thrown when one runner occupies the bases: 5 6 9 and 10 are thrown with two men on the bases; and 5 6 9 10 11 are thrown when three nien occupy the bases. ice 5 and 6 determine the status ot the batter and the respective dice 9 10 and 11 determine the status ot the runner or runners. After two men have been put out the dice 9 10 and 11 are withdrawn trom play regardless of whether or not the bases are occupied. The numerals on the respective dice 9 10 and 11 indicated the respective bases occupied by the runners, as first, second and third. 4

Assumingthat the bases are loaded and none out and that the batter has made a hit as determined by the dice 1 2 3 t and 7, the team in the eld throws the live dice 5 6 9 10 11. 1t all tive dice are white side up all runners are sate and they advance over with one of its white sides uppermost the the bases as indicated by the squares on dice 2, 3, 4, 7. If one red side appears uppermost in group 5 6 9 10 11 one player is out. This player is determined to be the batter indicated by B on dice 5, the first ruimer indicated by dice 9, the 2nd runner indicated by dice l0 or the third runner indicated by dice 1l. Of course others Will be out if so indicated by the several dice.

The dice S is used electively by the side at bat and is thrown singly by the runner or player on the base, and only When a runner is on base. The chances are even on stealing the base as indicated by three White sides for steals and three red sides for out stealing on the dice 8. If White appears on the thrown dice the runner is advanced one bag; if red appears the runner is out and the score is kept accordingly.

The game is continued as above indicated until three men or the in side have been retired for the first half of an inning, then the team in the field becomes the team at bat and vice versa, for nine innings, or for a predetermined number of innings, as desired.

Various exceptions and rules, consistent with the regular base ball rules, may be incorporated, as for instance assuming that a runner is on first, or runners are occupying first and second, or all the bases loaded. The batter hits a grounder into fair territory on Which he is retired at first as the runner or runners advance, such play on the part of the batter Will be scored as asacrilice hit. Again, with a runner on third and one out, if the batter is retired on a three base fly, the runner on third is advanced one base and scores a run.

Of course the team making the most runs in a predetermined number of innings Wins the game, and the pitching of the ball, i. e. throwing of dice l is carried out after each successive play.

The dice in the series used are divisible into sets, one for the in side or the -side atbat and one for the out 'side or side in the field. These sets are for use in groups by the respective sides; a single die representing the pitcher is used by the outside or the side in the field; a single dice is electively used by the team at bat for base stealing; and group for base runners is selectively used by the in side or team at bat.

I-Iaving thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. In a baseball game a series of dice comprising tvvo sets representing the team at bat and the team in the field and bearing symbols indicating plays, one dice of the team at bat being adapted for selective use, one dice of the team in the field being adapted for pitchers use, and the remaining dice being adapted for, group use.

2. In a base ball game a series of dice comprising an at-bat set and an in-the-field set, one dice in the latter set bearing symbols for plays on pitched balls and adapted for single use, a single dice in the former set bearing symbols for base stealing and also adapted for single use, and the remaining dice of said sets bearing symbols for group use.

3. In a base ball game a series of dice comprising tvvo sets representing the team at bat and the team in the field and bearing symbols indicating plays, said dice having contrasting colors as auxiliary identifying means in connection With said symbols, one dice of the team at bat being for selective use and one dice of the team in the field being adapted for pitchers use.

4t. In a base ball game the series of dice comprising an at-bat set and an in-the-field set bearing play symbols and adapted for group use, one of said dice in the second set being adapted for single use by a pitcher and provided With a flattened corner for indicating a play When said dice stands on said corner.

5. In a base ball game the series of dice comprising an at-bat set and an in-the-field set bearing play symbols, one of said dice in the finst set being adaptive for elective use for base stealing, one of said dice in the second set being adapted for single use by pitcher, and a group of dice for base running plays in the first set adapted for selective use in said set.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature.

JAMES A. GORMAN. 

